


Christmas On A Tropical Beach?

by TryingToScribble



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Well Clint's excited, it's Christmas, very light swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-10 18:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8927560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TryingToScribble/pseuds/TryingToScribble
Summary: Phil has always wanted to spend Christmas on a tropical beach. Clint does not agree.





	1. Christmas On A Tropical Beach Just Doesn't Feel Right

Clint and Phil were cuddled together on the sofa in Clint’s apartment in Avengers Tower. They were facing the floor to ceiling window and since Clint’s apartment was on the 23rd floor, they had a pretty good view of the darkening sky. They had been staring out at the city for a while, just admiring the lull in activity while they had the time to themselves. They were nearing the end of a very busy week for the both of them.

Clint wished that it would snow and said as much out loud, breaking the silence that had surrounded them for hours.

Phil nodded, which messed up Clint’s hair seeing as though the archer was tucked up to his side, cheek pressed to his chest, and Phil’s cheek rested atop his head.

“I admit that snow looks amazing and paints a rather romantic scene when it’s falling, but it’s a nightmare once it’s landed.” Phil said, voice quiet. He didn’t want to disturb their relaxed moment but felt like talking. “I’ve never really been one to stand and admire the snow.” He continued, “or, you know, Christmas.”

Clint did know that. When Clint had first brought up the subject of the winter holiday season, Phil told him all about his not so good history with Christmas. They had both grown up with Christmas; trees and lights and presents, but they were completely different holidays for each of them.

Phil had 8 Christmases with a huge loving family who all went overboard on anything and everything to do with the holidays, but when his father passed away when he was 9, that all changed. Phil told Clint everything, including how his mother had never gotten back her Christmas spirit and how Phil eventually stopped going home to celebrate. He still called his mom every year on the 25th, but it wasn’t the same.

Clint was pretty much a massive man child when it came to the holiday season, though, and ever since he was little he felt like it wasn’t truly Christmas if it didn’t snow. Growing up surrounded by children who all needed cheering up around this time of year, including himself, meant that everything was magical. The owners of the only foster home that he felt had really been a foster _home_ made sure that no kid felt left out or forgotten when it seemed like the rest of the world were getting everything they wanted from Santa. Now, even though Clint knows that Santa isn’t real and the world is a crock of shit most days, he still loves Christmas.

That is why the next thing Phil said had Clint mentally crashing to a halt on the sledge he was riding in his daydreams.

“You know how I feel about Christmas, which is why I’ve always wondered what it would be like to spend Christmas on some tropical beach in the middle of a far away ocean. Somewhere SHIELD couldn’t bother me until I was damn well ready to come back and face the work again.”

Clint leaned back as Phil talked and stared at the side of his face as Phil was still gazing out of the window. It was a foreign concept to him that anyone would want to be anywhere but a fantasy filled white Christmas in the midst of December.

“I love my work, you know that, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t need time off for once.” Phil squeezed Clint’s side and gave a regretful smile before continuing, “That’s not really an option now, is it, with the Avengers being called out at every minute of every day and night.”

Clint squeezed Phil back and tried to keep the shock and horror off his face. He went for a more encouraging and open look. As much as he really didn’t want to spend a holiday in the sun, if it were to happen it would mean time off at least.

“Let’s do it.” He said on a whim. If it would make Phil happy then he could be happy too.

Phil took his eyes off the horizon to swivel his stunned and hopeful expression in Clint’s direction. “What?” He all but squeaked.

“Let’s do it.” Clint repeated with more enthusiasm but it didn’t come across on his face as much as he wanted. Phil noticed because of course he did, it was his job to know when the Avengers were holding things to themselves, but Clint didn’t realise that Phil had noticed. None of them ever did. It was a super power, really.

“I know Fury would give you a year off if you just asked, the amount of time you’ve dedicated to SHIELD.”

The agent turned a little more to face his archer and press a kiss to his temple in order to hide what would have become a blinding smile. “Thank you.” He said softly. “But I have one condition.”

“Anything.” Clint was quick to say. If he was getting himself into this, he was jumping in head first, as was his forte.

“I organise it. All of it. I want to surprise you.”

Clint’s smile tugged wider, thinner, and faker. He didn’t mean to be so negative about it. He really did want Phil to have everything he ever wanted. So, to hide his disappointment, he turned his grimace into a grin that showed plenty of teeth. “As if you could surprise me!” He gave the answer he thought Phil would have expected. It was more like his usual happy self to deny being worse at anything.

“Oh, but I could.” Phil chuckled and tugged Clint closer so he could poke at his sides. The resulting tickle fight made sure that Clint didn’t think anything more of the impromptu holiday abroad.

Only, Phil had something else in mind for this surprise.

It made Phil love Clint even more that he was willing to keep his mouth shut about not wanting to do something when it would make Phil happy. It also made him kind of sad to think that Clint grew up doing exactly the same, putting other people before himself.

The closer it got to Christmas day, the more suspicious Clint became since he hadn’t been dragged away in the middle of the night to God knows where yet.

Phil was the most surprised of everyone that Clint hadn’t clocked on to what was happening right under his nose. Phil was planning the best Christmas ever for his partner with the help of all the Avengers. Even Stark who he had assumed couldn’t keep a secret to save his life had managed to keep it buttoned.

So, when Clint woke up on Christmas morning without a Phil Coulson in sight he was thoroughly confused. For one, Phil never got out of bed first on Christmas; man child Clint Barton at your service, remember? Secondly, they were still in New York.

He rolled onto his back before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to launch himself upright. He looked about the room trying to find any evidence of where Phil had gotten to. He couldn’t be heard in the kitchen so he wasn’t in the apartment. “Phil?” He shouted out just to make sure anyway. No answer meant that Clint would have to go searching.

Once he stepped outside of their bedroom he could hear a faint noise coming from outside his apartment. He opened the door to a strong beat accompanying Slade’s Merry Christmas Everyone.

Clint allowed himself to smile a little even though he wasn’t any less confused.

He left the apartment to follow the tune to its source and found himself walking towards the common area. A large open apartment of sorts in the middle of the floor where the team could hang out in their spare time.

The end of the music trail found the team minus Bruce and Thor sat around the base of the Christmas tree. Steve was levelling off the ornaments on the tree and Natasha wore a smug look while she was sat atop a very unhappy Tony that was shouting about _needing_ his presents _now._

Phil was stood in the back corner leaning against a table set for a huge dinner. He shook his head at the others until he spotted Clint in the doorway. They had clearly been waiting for him. It was that image that brought Clint up to speed; figuring out Phil’s plan in the next blinking moment.

“Merry Christmas, Clint.” Phil piped up after a minute of staring and smiles.

That had the others clambering to their feet, Tony shouting, “Finally, Birdbrain! Welcome to the party!” He spun quickly, “Secret Agent Man, can we open presents now?”

Clint stepped further into the room and, ignoring Stark, padded in bare feet up to Phil. “I thought we were going away?” He asked with a smirk, now he knew the game being played.

When he was close enough Phil pulled him close with hands on his hips and offered him a chaste kiss in greeting. “I don’t need to go to the beach to have a good Christmas.”

Clint wrapped his arms around the other man’s neck to pull their lips back together in answer. “But you really wanted to go. Like, _really_ bad.” He sounded a little guilty but Phil would take none of it.

“When I saw that you wouldn’t really be happy on a beach, but you would go along with it just to see me happy, I knew that it didn’t matter where we were. Christmas on a tropical beach just doesn’t feel right anymore. Not when I can enjoy my time with you here and still bully Fury for the time off.”

The sound of Tony cheering behind them made Clint chuckle and Phil turn his Agent Coulson smirk on the man. “That doesn’t apply to you, Mr. Stark.”

Watching Tony’s grin fall into a pout really made Clint’s day.

He pecked a kiss to Phil’s cheek then clapped his hands together as he pulled away. “Right, guys and girls! What did Santa get me?”

Phil really couldn’t regret giving up a tropical vacation when he saw Clint literally dive into the pile of gifts beneath the tree in excitement.


	2. Christmas On a Tropical Beach is Awesome!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil has realised he doesn't need a tropical beach. He just wants a quiet Christmas. Again, Clint doesn't quite agree.

“We’ll just have a quiet Christmas this year, yeah?” Clint said as soon as Phil walked through the door at 3 o’clock in the morning.

It took a minute for Phil to realise that Clint was expecting an answer to his random question. “That is all I ever ask.” Was the answer he went with, assuming that Clint was being serious if he had been thinking about this enough that he needed an answer at such a ridiculous hour.

“Good, because I’m organising Christmas this year.” Clint said with a satisfied smile and disappeared into the bedroom.

Phil took his time taking off his shoes and storing away his briefcase in their office space before joining Clint and continuing the conversation. “If you have to organise it, how small can it be?” He asked sceptically, ending with a questioning hum.

Clint slid up behind Phil as he began to change for bed and helped him undo his buttons with practiced ease. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just that we could have a family affair of it. Me, you, the rest of the team. Like last year.” He pulled the shirt from Phil’s shoulders and let the man undo his own belt and remove his trousers while he fetched him some sweats. “Thought I’d take the stress off your hands with all the extra work you’ve taken up.”

Once Phil was dressed to sleep he nodded. “If that’s what you want.” He agreed with a tired smile. “Just no big Stark parties, yes?” He almost pleaded. He climbed into bed as Clint slid in on the other side. They met in the middle and automatically fit together in a comfortable position for sleep. Clint’s thumb nudged at the hem of Phil’s shirt until he was stroking gently at bare skin. “No Stark parties.” He promised.

Phil thought that solved all his worries about the holiday for another year. That was, until Christmas Eve.

Being less than 24 hours away from ‘The Big Day’ made Agent Coulson a nightmare boss, but made Phil the cutesy, smiley partner of a certain childish Avenger. Clint was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement over every little thing related to the holidays.

The archer nearly even squealed with delight when Stark started shoving presents under the big tree Thor had brought in earlier that week and the rest of the Avengers had decorated. Phil decided he didn’t want to ask where Thor had been for it, since he was about 95% sure that he’d cut it down himself and he hadn’t been gone for long when he fetched it. If any nearby parks were missing trees, Phil didn’t want to deal with that paperwork.

He found it thoroughly amusing when Thor asked Stark if he was ‘Great Nick the Saint’ since he had been led to believe the man was a ‘jolly round man’, though ‘they got the tale of the suit of red correct’. When it turned into an Educating Thor session again, Phil checked out to do some of the previously mentioned paperwork.

The Earth holidays lesson didn’t last long, though, when alerts sounded and JARVIS informed them that the Avengers were called in.

No one was happy about being disturbed so close to Christmas but it couldn’t be helped when they were the peoples’ saviours, or some other such nonsense Phil hated to hear directed at himself. The others, sure.

It was routine to get geared up and on the quinjet as fast as possible so the team was ready to go in no time.

The team – the whole team, this time – were seated in the back of the jet so Phil joined Clint up front since he was piloting. He wanted to speak to Clint alone, anyway.

“I’m sorry.” Was the first thing he said before he sat down and buckled himself in the co-pilot’s seat.

Clint flicked a few switches and pressed a couple of buttons before turning to Phil with a frown. “What d’you got to be sorry for?” He asked, leaning over to grasp one of Phil’s hands. “Not your fault there’s a call out.”

Phil just squeezed Clint’s hand. “It isn’t exactly the quiet Christmas you were planning.” He said with a slight lift of his lips. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. He knew Clint loved this time of year. “It just isn’t quite what you were expecting. I’m sorry.”

Clint just shook his head and after he checked the screen on his control panel and the view outside, he offered Phil a smirk. “Yeah, I don’t think you expected this either.”

He turned to face front again to land the jet, all the while with the smirk on his face. Phil didn’t understand what was so funny, but if Clint wasn’t as disappointed about this as he thought, then there was nothing to worry about, was there.

The Avengers were gathered around the opening hatch door when Agent Coulson pulled himself from the cockpit. He thought he saw Black Widow wink at him but dismissed it when Hawkeye slapped him on the back on his way passed.

He holsters a choice firearm from those lined up by his go bag that he had left when they set off then joined the team. “Okay, top priority: gauge the situation. We have no idea what we’re walking into.” The others nodded but made no sound, indicating that they understood. “Hawkeye, Iron Man, Thor. I want you up high. I need to know everything we’re up against; who, what, where, how many.” He pointed to them as he spoke. “Widow, I want you to get Doctor Banner to cover. You are to stay put while we find out a plan of attack. I don’t need more Hulk HR crap, got it?”

“Uh…” Banner raised his hand as if asking permission to speak. “I could stay here until you need me? I kind of burn easily.” Clint’s head snapped up and Bruce was quick to reiterate. “I mean, I’d be more help here. It doesn’t matter whether I’m under the shade of some trees, or a basement, or the jet, right? As long as I lay low until your say so.”

Stark was about to jump in with some sarcastic comment about him staying behind to write rhyming poems to ‘Agent Boss Man’ but Agent Coulson interrupted with his approval of the change of plan.

“Okay, everyone good? Then let’s go!”

The whole team bar Doctor Banner jumped out of the jet and started running, including Iron Man who was shedding his suit. They were all laughing and he was certain he heard Thor whoop. Coulson was about to shout them back and ask what the hell they were doing but was stopped when he almost ran into the back of Hawkeye.

“Hawkeye, what in the hell-” Coulson began but was again cut off in shock when Hawkeye stripped off the top half of his outfit and dropped unceremoniously to the sand.

Sand. Phil looked down at his feet and shuffled them a little to feel the sand beneath his shoes. Then he looked up in the distance to see the rest of the team stripped to similar states of undress and jumping into the sea.

Finally, he looked down at Clint who was peering up at him through his eyelashes with a big shit eating grin on his face. “Did I miss something?” Phil asked, a lightbulb flickering on above his head, and his lips tugging upwards.

Clint just pointed to the Santa hat that had appeared from nowhere and was now pulled over his head.

Phil caught on pretty quickly after that and had to control himself before he bust a gut from laughing so hard. “I thought you preferred white Christmases?” He said when he sobered a little and had gone soft around the edges.

He realised how much thought Clint had put into this surprise and he genuinely loved it. Even though the whole team would be getting his best pissed off Agent Coulson impression as payback.

“What was it you said last year? When I saw that you wouldn’t be happy but you would go along with everything to see me happy, I realised it didn’t matter where we were.”

Clint reached up to link his fingers with Phil’s and tug the other man down into the sand beside him. “Christmas on a tropical beach is awesome!”


End file.
